Load dropping toy with magnetic means



April 3, 1962 w. J. SHAPIRO 3,027,683

LOAD DROPPING TOY WITH MAGNETIC MEANS Filed June 23. 1959 INVENTOR. I5 WILL/HM J SHF/P/RO HTTORNEYS Uite 3,9216% Patented Apr. 3, 1962 3,027,683 LOAD DROPPENG TUY WITH MAGNETIC MEANS William ii. Shapiro, 653 Montgomery St, Brooklyn, N.Y. Filed June 23, 1959, Ser. No. 822,345 12 Claims. (til. 46-242) The invention relates to a toy which uses a vehicle or vehicle member mounted for movement along a track such as a string or cord and a releasable member such as a load, bomb or gate is retained on the vehicle by magnetic attraction. The magnetic attraction is of such strength that the releasable member is retained by the vehicle as it moves on the track but is released by manipulation of the track such as by jarring, snapping or the like. The user will manipulate the track at the end which is held by the hand as the vehicle rides down the track, so that the release of the release member occurs remotely or at a distance from the point of manipulation.

It is an object of the invention to construct a toy having a vehicle or vehicle member movable along a track which can be manipulated such as by jarring, snapping or the like and having a releasable member releasably attached to the vehicle through magnet means of such strength that the releasable member is normally retained on the vehicle as it moves along the track but can be released by manipulation of the track.

In addition to the above, the release of the release member may be accomplished at the end of the track held by the user, that is remote or distant from the vehicle.

Another object of the invention is as above but so constructed that the effective strength of the magnetic means when too strong may be reduced to a level such that the releasable member normally remains attached to the vehicle yet has a limited attraction such that the releasable member is readily released upon manipulation of the track such as by jarring, snapping or the like.

Another object of the invention is to construct a toy having a vehicle member movable along a track and a releasable member attached thereto by magnetic means which is releasable upon manipulation of the track and having locating means to locate the releasable member in proper position with respect to the magnetic means.

A still further object of the invention is to construct a vehicle movable along a track and a releasable member secured to the vehicle by magnetic means and readily releasable by manipulation of the track in which the releasable member is retained in the required position and means are provided to prevent rocking of the releasable member with movement of the vehicle on the track.

Another object is to construct a toy having a vehicle movable along a track in which a releasable member is attached to the vehicle by magnetic means and readily released by manipulation of the track in which the releasable member is a gate which opens an outlet for a storage means or container on the vehicle for release of objects received within the storage means.

A further object is to construct a releasable bomb in which a fin thereof serves one or more of the following functions, as the armature or carries the armature of the magnetic means, to locate the armature with respect to the magnet, to stabilize the bomb against rocking, and to space the armature from the magnet when it is desired to reduce the magnetic attraction.

Other objects of the invention will be more apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view or reduced size of a vehicle movable along a track and having a releasable member in the form of a bomb magnetically retained on the vehicle;

FIG. 2 is a full sized view of a releasable bomb and a portion of the vehicle showing a magnet;

PEG. 3 is a partial side view of the vehicle with a magnet and of a bomb attached thereto;

FIG. 4 is a partial side view of the vehicle and bomb showing one method of reducing the strength of magnetic attraction;

FIG. 5 is a partial side view of the vehicle and bomb showing another method of reducing magnetic attraction;

FIG. 6 is a partial side view of the vehicle and bomb illustrating a third method of reducing magnetic attraction;

FIG. 7 is a partial side view of the vehicle and bomb with another variation for reducing magnetic attraction;

FIG. 8 is a partial side view of the vehicle and a bomb mounted in a horizontal position with means to prevent rocking;

FIGURE 9 is a partial side view of the vehicle carrying a releasable gate which obstructs the outlet of a storage means for one or more releasable bombs;

FIGURE 10 is a partial side view of the vehicle and the bomb mounted on the vehicle in an inverted or nose up position and with means to prevent swinging of the bomb;

FIG. 11 is a partial side view of another form; and

FIG. 12 is a partial sectional view of the form of FIG. 11.

The toy includes a vehicle or vehicle member 10 of any suitable form that particularly shown being a toy airplane or glider which is mounted for movement on a track 11 such as a string or cord. The vehicle carries suitable track mounting means 12 for mounting the vehicle for movement on the track, the means particularly shown being spaced upright flanges each having a hole therein through which the string or cord passes. One end of the track may be anchored in any suitable fashion such as by being tied to the leg of a chair and the other end of the track is held by the child or operator to hold the track taut and in an inclined position so that the vehicle will move by gravity down the track. By jarring, snapping or otherwise manipulating the track the vehicle is agitated sufficiently to release a releasable member carried by the vehicle. A target or targets may be placed beneath the track, the object being to place a bomb on the target or one of the targets if more than one is provided or used.

The release member 15 may be of any form, that partic ularly shown in most of the figures being a bomb. It may be a gate as will appear more fully hereinafter. The release member is releasably retained on the vehicle or vehicle member during its movement on the track by magnetic means which includes a magnet 16 suitably mounted on one member such as being cemented thereto and an armature carried by the other member. With a magnet of substantial weight, it would be better to have the magnet carried by the vehicle member 10 and the armature forming a part of or carried by the release member. In the construction of FIG. 2, the armature is a part of the bomb in being a metallic fin 17 carried by the bomb. The release member is constructed to prevent fore and aft or axial rocking of the release member by the flat surfaced rear or tail edge of the fin coming in contact with the underside of the vehicle, the magnet or both. The release member preferably will also carry means for preventing sideway rocking of the release member on the vehicle which in the bomb of FIG. 2 and other figures is the fiat end or tail edge of a cross fin 18 which engages the underside of the vehicle. The release member will remain attached to the magnet 16 without such stabilizing means; however, release is not as positive and the bomb may tend to walk or shift on the magnet or rocking of the bomb tends to inadvertently or prematurely release the same.

The magnetic attraction of the magnetic means should be of such strength that it retains the release member attached to the vehicle under normal operation and yet must be weak enough so that upon manipulation of the track, such as by jarring, snapping and the like, the vehicle is also jarred or snapped and the release member is released from magnetic attachment to the vehicle. This relationship is particularly important when the objective is to release a bomb or bombs on a target on the floor beneath the track. If the magnetic attraction is such as to require violent or heavy manipulation of the track, the accuracy with which a bomb was dropped on a target would be affected. A magnet has been successfully used which is about of an inch long and approximately A; of an inch square. If the magnet, as shown in FIG. 2, should be too strong to release the release member with the desired ease by manipulation of the track there are various ways of reducing the magnetic attraction as shown in FIGS. 3 through 7 and 11, 12.

In FIG. 3 the magnet is on the upper surface of the vehicle 10 so that the thickness of the vehicle material such as cardboard or plastic is between it and the armature 17 of the release member. FIG. 4 shows a construction in which the magnet 16 is mounted in an aperture through the vehicle 10 but the armature 17 is spaced therefrom such as by one or two spaced lugs or feet 21 and similar lugs or feet on the cross fin 18 so that the armature is not in direct contact with the magnet. A lug about of an inch high will reduce magnetic attraction sufiiciently to cleanly release the release member upon track manipulation. Such lugs serve also to stabilize the release member against rocking. FIG. 5 shows another method of reducing the magnetic attraction with an armature such as a metallic fin 17 by a limited length of the armature or fin coming into contact with the magnet. In.

order to assure proper positioning of the release member with respect to the vehicle, the release member and vehicle member may have locating means which is shown in FIG. 5 as being a tab or tongue 22 carried by the vehicle member or release member and shown on the fin 17 of the release member and received in a hole 23 on the other member and shown as extending through the vehicle member 10. The construction of FIG.- 4 shows a similar locating means used with this form.

Another method of reducing the magnetic attraction is shown in FIG. 6 in which the armature or metallic fin 17 has one or more points 24, two being shown which come.

into contact with the magnet 16 preferably at the poles or adjacent its ends where magnetic attraction is greatest. This reduces the area of armature in contact with the magnet when the fin is of a metallic element. Locating means may be used to aid or require proper location of the armature. FIG. 7 shows a magnet attached to the lower surface of the vehicle 10 and a nonmetallic fin 17 such as cardboard has a cut out 25 to receive the magnet. One or more metallic clips 26 are bent over the edge of the cut out 25 of the fin 17 for engagement with the magnet and provide limited armature area for contact therewith. The cut out 25 is dimensioned to locate the insertion of the fin relatively to the magnet and also to provide extensions or legs to aid with the tabs 26 in stabilizing the bomb against forward swaying if this should be necessary or desirable.

The releasable member in the form of a bomb with a metallic fin 17 may be mounted in horizontal position, as in FIGURE 8, merely by placing the side edge of the fin in contact with the magnet. Sufiicient magnetic attraction is not provided, however, with the construction of FIG. 3 with the magnetof the strength described because the weight of the bomb or the center of gravity of the bomb is removed from underneath the magnet and the bomb inthis construction tends to pivot release. The magnetic strength is sufiicient to overcome this where the side edge of the fin is in direct contact with the magnet and will release satisfactorily upon manipulation of the track. Without" more, however, the bomb tends to rock sidewise or shift position and when this occurs tends to introduce error in the drop when the toy is used with a target beneath the track. The construction of FIG. 8 overcomes this in which means are provided to stabilize or prevent rocking of the bomb. In this construction, the fin 17 is shown as being of nonmetallic material so that a metallic armature 30 is provided secured to the side edge of the fin by a thin metal strip or tab being wrapped over its edge. A stabilizing means 31 may be attached to the vehicle 10 and having a slot 32 which receives the fin and prevents the same from rocking and shifting position on the vehicle.

A releasable bomb 15 may have a point 35 at the end thereof for pin pointing the drop on a target beneath the track and thereby more precisely fix the location of the bomb drop with respect to the target squares or rings for scoring purposes. The bomb with a metallic point 35 may use the point as the armature carried by the releasable member or bomb as shown in FIG. 10. With a toy so used it is not necessary that the fin 17 be metallic but it may be a cardboard fin. In order to keep the releasable load or bomb 15 from swinging as the vehicle travels down the track restraining or stabilizing means is used to support the bomb against swinging. The particular means shown in FIG. 10 is a tube 35 secured to the vehicle 10 at the magnet 16. The point 35 provides ample magnetic attraction to secure or attach the bomb to the vehicle member until the track is manipulated to release the same.

The construction of FIG. 9 illustrates a construction in which the releasable member need not be a releasable bomb. Here the releasable member is a gate member 38 having a gate 39 which may be of metal to form an armature or carry an armature for releasable attachment to the magnet 16. When the gate is in position held by the magnet, it obstructs an open lower end or" a carrier, shown as a magazine 40, when the vehicle rides down the inclined track, so that the load within the magazine or carrier cannot fall out. The load particularly shown is one or more balls 41. the releasable gate member has one or more locators in the form of one or more tabs 42 each of which passes through a hole in the vehicle 16 so that the gate will be properly located before the open end of the magazine. Manipulation of the track will release the release or gate member 38 and the balls 41 will roll or fall out of the magazine. A string 43 or hinge may be attached to the gate member and to the vehicle so that the gate member remains attached to the vehicle when released.

In FIGS. 11 and 12 a form. of releasable member or bomb 15 is shown having a metallic fin 17 as an armature with a curved edge to reduce the area of armature in contact with or primarily attracted by the magnet 16. A releasable member so constructed without more tends to sway or rock and inadvertently release when in motion. A hole 46 through the vehicle at the magnet enables direct contact of the armature or edge of a metallic fin with the magnet secured to the upper surface of the vehicle. This releasable member or bomb is shown with a single fin. Stabilizing means is provided in spaced walls or abutments 47 carried by the vehicle and extending downwardly between which the fin 17 is received and engages the fin to prevent forward swaying.

The vehicle may carry ears 49 engaging the fin 17 to.

stabilize laterally. This shows that the stabilizing means may be carried by the release member or vehicle member. It is clear that a second non-metallic fin extending.

sion ofthe magnet has been in alignment with the axis of the vehicle or parallel to the track. It need not be Preferablyin this direction however. Ample magnetic attraction is secured for direct contact if the magnet is placed crosswise as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. There would be no particular advantage in this direction of mounting the magnet excepting where it might be desirable to have a long armature such as a metallic fin and reduce the attraction by restricting the area of contact or attraction, namely the width, of the magnet presented to the armature. These figures, therefore, show two methods of reducing magnetic attraction embodied in one construction either of which is suflicient to reduce attraction to the desired release level for a magnet as described. For a stronger magnet both methods may be used. Also a magnet has minimum attraction at its center so that locating the point of contact to adjacent an end of the magnet gives increased attraction.

Since the weight of the release member is the force which must be overcome by the magnet in order to retain the release member on the vehicle until released by manipulation of the track, its weight is a factor in the strength of the magnet to be used. The lighter the release member is in weight, permits the use of a magnet of lesser strength or magnet attraction to attach the same to the vehicle and yet release upon track manipulation. The bombs particularly used successfully have a wooden stem of one half inch in diameter and about an inch and three-quarters long and either cardboard or a thin metal fin and the total weight is roughly about one-half an ounce. The strength of the magnet which will successfully support this load and yet release upon manipulation of the track was such that by the addition of the weight of a penny or a total weight of about one ounce the magnet lacked suficient strength to support the release member on what roughly was the weakest magnetic attraction construction, such as represented by the construction of FIGS. 4, and 6. The construction of release member shown in FIG. 2 had a stronger at traction, however, so that when a coin of nickel denomination was attached to this bomb, the magnetic attraction was not quite sufficient to support this additional weight. It is apparent therefore that there is a fair amount of latitude as to the strength of the attraction between the magnet and the release load which will adequately support the load for movement of the vehicle down the track and yet will release upon manipulation of the track. A heavier release member, would require a stronger magnet. The magnetic means may include two magnets one of which serves as an armature. They must be properly poled for attraction when the release member is mounted on the vehicle member. For reduction, of attraction, a simple form is that shown in most figures where the edge of a thin metallic tin or member is presented to the magnet.

This invention is presented to fill a need for improvements in a load dropping toy with magnetic means. It is understood that various modifications in structure, as well as changes in mode of operation, assembly, and manner of use, may and often do occur to those skilled in the art, especially after benefitting from teachings of an invention. This disclosure illustrates the preferred means of embodying the invention in useful form.

What is claimed is:

1. A load dropping toy to run along an inclined track comprising a vehicle member, means immovably fixed to the vehicle member to mount the same for movement on the inclined track, at least one release member to be releasably carried by the vehicle member, and magnetic means of two elements to releasably attach the release member to the vehicle member including a magnet immovably fixed to one member and an armature immovably fixed to the other member, the magnetic means having a strength to retain the release member on the vehicle member against inadvertent release while moving down the track and one of the elements of said means having an area and arrangement relative to the other such that the weakness of the magnetic means will release the release member upon manipulation of the track remotely from the vehicle.

2. A load dropping toy as in claim 1 including means carried by one of the members including the release member and the vehicle member and engaging the other member at a point spaced from the magnet to hold the release member against rocking when held by the magnetic means.

3. A load dropping toy as in claim 1 in which one of the members carries means engaged by the other member to space the magnetic means elements away from direct contact with each other.

4. A load dropping toy to run along an inclined track comprising a vehicle member, means immovably fixed to the vehicle member to mount the same for movement on the inclined track, at least one release member to be releasably carried by the vehicle member; and magnetic means of two elements to releasably attach the release member to the vehicle member including a magnet immovably fixed to the vehicle member and an armature immovably fixed to the release member, the magnetic means having a strength to retain the release member on the vehicle against inadvertent release while moving down the track and having a weakness to release the release member upon manipulation of the track remotely from the vehicle.

5. A load dropping toy as in claim 4 including stabilizing means carried by one of the members including the release member and the vehicle member at a point spaced from the magnet and engaging the other member to hold the release member against swaying when held by the magnetic means.

6. A load dropping toy as in claim 4 in which the armature is a magnetic fin.

7. A load dropping toy as in claim 4 in which the release member is a bomb having a nose, the magnetic means element being a metallic point carried by the nose, and stabilizing means carried by the vehicle member engaging the bomb to prevent swaying thereof.

8. A load dropping toy as in claim 7 in which the stabilizing means is a tube.

9. A load dropping toy as in claim 4 including a load carrier carried by the vehicle and having an open release end, the release member being a gate providing an armature, and locating means carried by the gate and vehicle member to locate the gate to obstruct the open release end of the load carrier and with the magnetic means elements in cooperative relation.

10. A load dropping toy as in claim 6 in which the tin has a pair of spaced points for engagement with the ends of the magnet for attractive cooperation with the magnet.

11. A load dropping toy as in claim 4 in which the vehicle member has a lower surface, and the magnet is attached to the lower surface, and the release member having a cut out at its end approximating the dimensions of the magnet to receive the magnet.

12. A load dropping toy as in claim 4 in which one of the members carries means to space the armature away from direct contact with the magnet but near enough to be magnetically retained thereby for release.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,101,276 Walter Dec. 7, 1937 2,512,421 Fay June 20, 1950 2,825,181 Gunderson Mar. 4, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 167,945 Great Britain May 17, 1920 

